TO PREVENT STRIDES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 9

TO PREVENT STRIDES.

MR. FRASER'S SUGGESTION. &OME OPINIONS ( ■More than'one idea lias boen.r.suggested from,, timo' to ; t-imo,- for; milking, the, Industrial Arbitration Act;" efTcctivo. ili; regftrdto ■ the. punishment of strikers. In the amending Bill;, which -tho Government l circulated last .jfear,r,but'.(lid ; not' proceed,- with, it ,was :-pro--Vidwl : that .'fines, .'imposed ,by the Arbitration , Court should,:bo''deducted frbm/wages and paid over by tho employer to ail inspector of a'warels.'V '"Another scheme ■ was outlined - by Mr,' AV. Frasor,' M.P.,-in ;a letter to Tiie Dominion, avday,or two ago. His proposal, was to mako. 'the cancellation- of a pnion'.s 'rtgist/atiftli-: tho. donsequenco ;of its refusal tb,:'comply with a decree of the .Arbitration. CAtirt- -; He'' proceeded' Any othor Union' admitting to' its ranks even oiio 'meniber of tTib deftinfit 'Union : should at once thereby:' become liable for said decice, oi, in default,' 1 havo 'its-registration also cancelled. If indir Viduals, Avitliotit tho 'consent of, the-Union to which thoy belong (as in tho ease' of tho slaughtermen's strike), refuso to- pay finds imposed by the Arbitration Coin t, said ;intuVidurilis*-j"shqUld; , '";thereup.on]. i i_kutbiitjitieall3r ceaso' to;bo. meml)er3 'Of their-.Union. 'Nor -could any. other Unioii adiilit tliem into: its ranks:.wiUio|ii :assuming''the 'liability, of ;hav- : ing to'at'onbo'pay saidifines..' Unionism; with l all its privileges' of: proforonce, eto., should, not Continue to be granted to thoso who .decline to obey tho decrcos of tho Arbitration, Court" , . , , ■-Mr 'Frasor's propfisals wero tho subject or a, 1 fow; "short' iriter'viows, which were'- accorded to a : DOJiiNioN ;reporter .by peoplo whose study and oxporienco of tho Aibitiation Act, or;whoso represelitativo;position,';.gi.vo'Woight, to their opinions. ;• U THE EMPLOYERS* POINT OF VIEV/.

Mr. WJ' Pryor, secretary of tho New Zea- ■ land;' Employers' Fcderation, _ said., that, tho ''ri^eMtioiivreTOgniied'^.tho',cliffieulty 'of; the . position'.wit-h : regard'to; imprisoning , a .-largo numbbr .of'rneiij but he thought that, under . feistirig doiiditionsj .'tlie. feiir ,of 'might, bo,reqiiiriid to 'compbl oliAlience. to tho 'decisions'' of ' the Arbitration' Court when- a ■ strike had' taken .placd.; Ho -had not '-yot given much- thought to Mr. Fraser's alternative scheme, but it seemed to him -.that--it. Woiild, Require -a good"deal of,' amendment fore; it could: be made, effective. - ' .It was evidently, Mr. Eraser's • idea : . ! to dp' away :'alfo-'. • goth'er.'with fincS for -striking'.:;-This-,woiild' "onablo''a.v'tjnioiii' 1 which with ■ 'ali i award of- tho'- Court,-. to'; got clear : 0f - its. obligations"' uhdei 1 '-such-, award-..by-' simply Wtrikiftg.-" fTJiidel 1 tlio' law-in its', present form,' " if'itlie. registration. ofd "Union ;'were/; can-. ;'cclled'' ; duriiig.-the ;term' : ; of; an;award,, -tho , liivard would continue to bind tlip-einployees 'until ''its - term" expired.,,'H',ConseqUently,;;;if : suggestiou : ,''.,Wore ''to -mado ,-lawi;.iti'would?also. need -to be. provided that' • caiicellatidii : of (-the '• award; should :• ,the abdlitidn',,of the Union-. What-' ever.. Bystenv, t werfi--.-.adopted must • cut both ''ways.-If' tho; Unions • were' alloiypd -;to ' get nll ; an,;dbiipxious . award- .i tha; :employers, should liavoi a similar privilege, in , tegard. to locking-out; This • Would lead ;-to-' ■ft Manifestly,'■'absurd jstati. .of '■Eryor's'opinion,-i tho Court ltiust have, power :fp iimpose,;Such;^finds : ;as , ...wOuld.; , act;.!fe. ( a' i;detorront, and m order .to insure! payment; the; 'jiower', ' ; of 'fiimprisbiiiiient-.mustfbdi'-'i'Otainod;-: ,'awirds;\wOnld;:!bo-..elfectiv6' •drilyViSovlpng-'as''. 'they- woi'o'acccptable;to:.!bpth.-partios.'' ■■• "In fact," continuedi Mr Pryoi, "no •must ;;havo;-. Arbitratio'li :Cpurt-: awards •,which vcanrbe VOhfprdWl;;:inV.their' , ;piitirety;'. or v -th'e.' ;Afbitratibn'|;-Act<iand-s Court njust''- be-,.swept; ;away : ,'fTn:'my ! ] dpiniou/.'tho ''.maximum;; finei isiipiiil- !be';incrdaSed_. J to. ! OTcli>7Mioa'iiMuiito'as :WPuld. cause.,ftriy"Uni6n;to:'6dnsider(n'ery';seriTi .ously.,';beforP,;creating-'a ; 'Striko;;' My Federa-i > -^ionyf-a-ir'^it^'. i la%6:/ai|'nital'>--in| > egC!tl)l^'. v '.ehdbrse3i ri;; 'suggestipfciilisi'tjsfcho . toirtTSbfiuldsihavoo •power;to;'inVpoS'o, : : uppn'!'a r j3'OSipnifa^iio -.lip. to W,. 1 .s:mk>x: osidJ I ( A LABOUR OPINION.' . - Mr.'/ David. M'Laren, secretary,-of the -Wellington .■"Wharf-- Labourers' did not at' all ,approve of- Mr. Eraser's; scheme. - Something, liko.-. it.: had ; be'en. rtried ':by.' ■ tho 'New South .Wales•"Arbitration: Court 'in tho' Sydney ; wharf: strifcot,; about.;' tKro:. years 'ago.-; 1 Tho preference clauses,-. were:; rosoindedi bpt: in- 1 stead, of ' creating industrial peace this action 1 only;.- accentuated tho. previously - existing ' Strike.; 'r;Tho' ( ' ; objedt■; of; tho statesmen.-i.whp' introduced industrial arbitration was -to pro-, vido: machinery wlnch i would .obviate- tho necessity, !■ of; i strikes ' and f lo'ck-duts,':-' ahd ;■• the Gpyem'mentVf.'had''finade; , i a. ;^mistakd;;•in■;■-not , " taking,.thpl'adviddj'of.,practical'ni'en'Mvhdn'vit: was shown.that the- machmory was defective,' and was unsatisfactory to . organised; labour: ilhstead. pfidmedying'thoidefdcts ini tlip'OActj' .the-Goyernmpjitiiidded mustV.bo',termed,:the'.penal vclaiisp; (Section;.ls, r of;-thd.:,Aet::of-so far ;;as:couldbeJtt^g^^i;was"^ip; v :t!on-,.'>.'Mr;;.Eraser's - idea- of - iiien'from becoming ,'membors'..bf; ai.Uhidn'because .'the3r",'-.had"--Bti , uok'.-.w'ork-;if6uid.:'n6t;;'b6:"appli6d.7 ;was'altogether,', im'practicr; able."':';V;-J

, ''''fhero'f.is'ialsp': to .be,-,considered Vin,;. this; connection," Mb M'Lnren fproceeded," tho: '(juestibrivof..'the constitutional-Tights,'botli-.of-workers' Thisquestion , has' , been'} under! discussion: in: England;; and.; tlio' 'trades .unibiis'.iand the; Labour party's contention .there, \in connection :■-with'the Disputes that V-what . is ' legal,i'.per-' missible, valid! righti-'oh; : the;part,;of -.an'-iudi--vidual shplild'be-lield to bif'so oil the part of a combination of individuals. - If that is good ; 'boiistituti6nali--law,' •'■ then;the• jid^a- I '.' d : f; ; ;.prc- : ;,y,enting:rstrik'es:?and^ , lock : outs:by ) ..any; penalr. eriaethient'vm'Ust. £d v by -tho boa¥d: ';Mr. : ;;jK9#'s , :idea-'.is.' , riiti^ v .'a'rieft-li'anilcS ; way,of'piihish'ing of:-workers for using ;tlieir' power <0f .'combination'; and it is, ques-; tioiiablo ' whether;.',; ' would. stand -such ;'a- restrictioh upon the' Tight' to'combine.",- :.. .. ' . v - CANCELLATION MADE EASY. ' •••>1 Tho Hon. J. Iligg,vM.L.O.,.to whom Mr. scheme,was submitted,,,said.:it appeared, to hiiiV that it.\Vas '.merely a suggestion to make cancellation eisy, precisely what many, ;of "the,-.lJhions; under certain circumstances' desired.:.'-,'That;was-tho . very - tiling ■that,,tho;,.legislation',of .'';thd past ';wished..ito :prevent, .aj-inst'ance; thO; clause ..that provided' that no;; Ifliion - 'couldcancel its' registration; without' der Mr;'Frasor's'scheme,'if. aflJniou; got' what "it considered to :be' award; it would go oii- strike, at pneo,' . and; by -so. qommittiiig .'.a: breach. it;';wpuld:.bbtain\.ca'nf.. ,cc!jati<m. ..'That would, effect ;riot-hing. in ,the'way of a,.solution- of the / present position: ,V.' : > Sir. Rigg has- an idea'that- the- administra-' tion .'of tho 'Act, t-hrpugli.. tho. medium :of, .a' Bench that lias' a Supremo Court -, Judg'e' asits. president, .is.at thp : root;' of; the .difficulty;.' Such' a" ninii,:'tlirouglv'hi6 Icgiil ..trafniiigi-aiid. scholastic environment," is really out of.touch -with the workers,-and ho looked, forward to .•the 'day., when the-;: legal; element - would bo .eliminated from tho Arbitration Court,' and ;when,- as president tho Court would have- a man whose practical 'iniiid would onablo him to .seo :a ; clearer way,' bereft; of. legal intricacies,' 'to ;more'■ equitablo arraugements'-be-twepn master and mail. ..